Vietnamese Fried Banana Fritters (Chuối Chiên)

What is Chuoi Chien?

Chuối chiên, or Vietnamese fried banana fritters, is one of Vietnam’s most popular street foods.

Traditionally made with short Thai bananas, known as chuối xiêm in Vietnamese, the bananas are peeled, flattened, and dipped in a light rice flour batter before frying.

As they cook, the batter puffs up, creating a crispy shell around the soft, caramelized banana. The fritters turn golden brown with a speckled crust of black sesame seeds, adding extra crunch and flavor.

Each bite is crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside—the perfect Vietnamese snack.

What You Will Need

To make Chuoi Chien or Vietnamese fried banana fritters, gather the following ingredients:

Regular rice flour and all-purpose flour – Creates a light, crispy shell.
Baking powder – The leavening agent for a classic puffy shell.
Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness to the crispy shell.
Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall taste.
Roasted black sesame seeds – Adds texture and the signature look to the classic street food fried banana fritters.
Turmeric powder (optional) – Adds a light yellow color to the batter.
Water – The liquid needed to make the batter.
Bananas – I’m using the long Western variety, also known as Cavendish or Chiquita bananas, which are commonly found in U.S. supermarkets. Choose bananas that are ripe but still firm—they’ll have the best flavor and hold their shape when flattened.
Neutral oil – I’m using vegetable oil for deep-frying.

Ingredients needed for Vietnamese chuoi chien (banana fritters)

How to Make It

Step 1: Make the Batter

In a wide shallow mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, and black sesame seeds.

Stir until smooth and well combined. The batter should be thick enough to coat the bananas but not too heavy.

Vietnamese Fried Banana Fritters (Chuối Chiên) - Batter

Step 2: Heat the Oil

In a wide skillet, add about 1 1/2 inches of neutral oil and heat to 350°F. It’s important now to let the batter go beyond 350°F. Otherwise, it will burn too fast.

Step 3: Prepare the Bananas

Prepare the bananas as you fry them, rather than in advance. For an 11-inch skillet, work with one banana at a time. Since each banana makes two fritters, this allows them to fit properly in the pan.

Peel the banana slice it in half lengthwise.

Use a Ziploc bag or thick plastic to roll up the banana snugly.

Flatten with something flat like a small chopping board — Banana half – flatten with a cutting board

Use a large mallet or a flat object like a small cutting board to gently flatten the banana until thin, but not so much that it breaks apart.

Step 4: Deep Fry

Carefully peel the flatten banana off the plastic bag and transfer it to the prepared batter.

Dip flatten banana into batter — Gently transfer the flatten batter into the batter

You can also pour the batter onto the flatten batter on something flat and long — In the Vietnamese countryside, people often pour the batter into banana tree trunks for easy transfer. I tried it myself with a small banana tree, and it worked great. Cleanup was easy since the makeshift utensil could simply be discarded afterward.

Using a wide spatula or a makeshift banana trunk ladle (see the picture above), transfer the coated banana into the hot oil. Fry for about 3 minutes total or until lightly golden.

Deep fry banana — Deep frying – the 1st fry

Step 5: Batter & Fry Again

Remove the banana from the oil and dip it back into the batter for a second coating. Fry it again, which will make it puff up even more.

Fry for another one minute total, flipping as needed for even color, then transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil.

Dip fried banana into batter again — Dip fried banana again in batter

Deep fry again for a puffy crust — Fry again for that puffy crust

Repeat with the remaining bananas. Allow to cool slightly as they will be pipping hot and enjoy.

FAQs

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

Yes, you can. The batter can be prepared up to a day in advance and kept in the fridge. Stir before using as the flour tends to settle at the bottom.

Can I flatten the whole banana?

I have tried flattening a whole banana without slicing and the result was a flat crust when fried.

I’d highly recommend not to skip slicing the banana. It ensures you get that perfectly round crust.

My batter is too thick/thin. How to fix it?

Add a little more water to the batter if it’s too thick. The extra water will thin it out.

Add a little more rice flour to the batter if it’s too thin. The extra flour will thicken it a bit more so that it clings to the banana better when dipped.

Vietnamese Fried Banana Fritters (Chuối Chiên) - Cut in Half

Pro Tips

More Banana Filling

If you want more banana filling instead of half, slice the banana in half and flatten each piece separately. Then, stack the two halves together and dip them into the batter before frying.

This method gives you more banana filling while still achieving a puffy crust.

Add Optional Sauce

Although it’s typically enjoyed plain, if you’d like to drizzle it with a sauce, try this coconut milk sauce.

What Something Fancier?

Try this modern take on chuối chiên—banana wrapped in spring roll pastry, fried until crispy, then drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with toasted coconut.

Storage & Reheating

These are best eaten fresh or within a few hours while the crust is still crispy.

But if you have extras, you can store leftover in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or room temperature for up to 2 days.

Reheat them in an air fryer or refry quickly in oil (preferred method) to regain crispiness.

Description

Golden Vietnamese banana fritters with a light, crunchy batter for the perfect snack.

Make the batter: In a wide shallow mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, and roasted black sesame seeds. Whisk until smooth, then set aside while you prepare the oil and bananas.
Heat oil: In a wide skillet (about 11 inches), add about 1 1/2 inches of neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, and heat to 350°F.
Prepare the bananas: Peel the banana and slice it in half lengthwise. Use a Ziploc or thick plastic bag to roll up the banana half snugly. Use a large mallet or a flat object like a small cutting board to gently flatten the banana until thin but not so much that it breaks apart. Carefully peel it from the plastic bag and dip it into the batter. Repeat with the other half.
Deep fry bananas: Using a wide spatula, transfer the coated bananas into the hot oil. Fry for about 3 minutes total or until golden.
Batter and fry again: Remove from the oil and dip it back into the batter for a second coating. Return it to the oil for a second fry, which will cause it to puff up. Fry for another minute, flipping gently for even coloring, then transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining bananas. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: stove top, deep fry
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese

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